接待
jiēdài · HSK 3
receive
🤝 接 = receive/meet + 待 = wait on/treat — meet and tend to guests
接 carries 'to receive, connect, meet' and 待 carries 'to wait on, treat, host'. Together 接待 is the formal act of receiving and attending to visitors or customers — front-desk reception, hosting a delegation, serving a client.
接 — hand 扌 + concubine 妾 (phonetic)
接 is a semantic-phonetic compound. The hand radical 扌 carries the meaning of receiving or joining with the hand, while 妾 supplies the sound. From 'taking with the hand' it broadened to 'receive, meet, connect, join together'.
待 — chì 彳 (step) + 寺 sì (temple/phonetic)
待 combines the 'step' radical 彳, suggesting movement or a path, with 寺, which serves as the phonetic component. Originally it conveyed the idea of stopping along a road, which extended to 'waiting.' Over time it also took on related meanings like 'to treat' or 'to deal with' someone.